


Things Found

by coloredlights



Category: Imagine Me & You (2005)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-21
Updated: 2007-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-21 15:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/226626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coloredlights/pseuds/coloredlights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for silverspotted in Yuletide 2007.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Things Found

**Author's Note:**

> Written for silverspotted in Yuletide 2007.

The kissing finally reached a point at which both of them realized they hadn't breathed in what felt like eternity, and Luce and Rachel broke apart, both laughing breathlessly and grinning shamelessly. Luce, hands still twined in Rachel's hair, finally caught her breath enough to ask, "How did you find me? How did you even get here?"

Rachel's face fell and she looked over her shoulder. "Well, actually - I took my dad's car. With him in it. And my mum. And, well, your mum." She looked back at Luce, her eyes merry and sheepish at the same time.

"You didn't! They're all here? They all saw that? Wait - you told your mum and dad? You've got a bit of explaining to do, missy." Luce craned over Rachel's shoulder until she made eye contact with her mother, which promptly made her bury her face in Rachel's hair, where she stayed for longer than she'd meant. "God, but you smell good," she blurted, immediately dropping her forehead to Rachel's shoulder in embarrassment.

Rachel took a step back, forcing Luce's head up, before saying, "C'mon, get your bag and pay your cabbie - let's get out of here." Luce thought that was the best idea she'd heard all week.

********

Somehow they survived the immensely awkward ride back to the flower shop, where Luce's mother disembarked with a wink at her daughter and a wave for the rest of them. The next stop was Rachel's flat, where Rachel looked cautiously at the darkened windows before H emerged from the front door, holding an envelope and rather startling them all. She walked somberly up to the back window where Rachel was sitting, staring through it until Rachel rolled it down.

"Heck left this for you," H said, holding the envelope through the window until Rachel took it gingerly, "And he's not here, don't worry. You can go inside." She stepped back and Rachel, stunned, wordlessly climbed out of the car, not breaking eye contact with her little sister.

"H..." she started, but H cut her off. "Don't worry, Heck explained. It's all right." Rachel wrapped her in a hug, holding tight until H squirmed.

"Hi Luce. I'm glad you were found," H said, once released from Rachel's grip. Luce, also a little stunned, climbed out of the car, hugged H, and pulled her luggage from the boot. H crawled into the backseat, now empty, and closed the door behind herself.

Rachel and Luce turned to go inside, but a voice stopped them. "Rach?" H's clear voice called, "I have a question. Why is everything that's lost always in the last place you look?"

Rachel's gaze softened, and she glanced at Luce before responding, "Because once you've found it, you don't need to look anymore." H nodded, satisfied, and the car pulled away.

Luce's hand slipped into Rachel's, and they finally made it through the door.

********

Once inside, Luce left her bag along the wall in the kitchen, and Rachel stood at the counter, turning Heck's envelope over and over in her hands. Luce stepped up behind her and wrapped her arms around Rachel, mimicking the pose they'd had at the football match.

Leaning her chin on Rachel's shoulder, she whispered, "You don't have to open it this minute, you know."

Rachel shook her head. "No, I really do. I've got to know what it says," and she ripped the seal.

 _Rachel,_

 _  
I meant what I said - all I want is for you to be happy. So I've gone away for a while, and I don't really know when I'll be back. The flat is yours, since I won't be around to use it._

 _I'll let you know where I am, once I've figured it out myself._

 _Take care of yourself,_

 _Heck_

 _P.S. Luce - take care of Rach for me too, all right?_

When her eyes reached the bottom of the page, Luce moved her hands to Rachel's hips and gently turned her around. She used her thumbs to brush away the tears she knew would be sliding down Rachel's cheeks, then, with her eyes closed, kissed the trails the tears had left. She opened her eyes and her breath caught at the look in Rachel's hazel eyes. Luce had expected pain, but she saw only understanding and - after a moment - a touch of lightness. She knew her own expression had turned to confusion, but she hardly had time to notice before Rachel had spun her around, reversing their positions.

" _Oof_ ," Luce gasped as her hips hit the counter, the sound barely escaping before Rachel's mouth covered hers. This kiss was considerably different than the ones they'd shared in the middle of the road, and Luce's mind reeled as Rachel's tongue slipped into her mouth. She melted, completely losing the ability to think, until she felt Rachel's hands sliding up the back of her shirt. With an immense exercise of willpower, she tore her mouth away from Rachel's and took hold of the hands wandering up her back.

"Rach," Luce breathed, "isn't it too soon for this? I mean," she gestured vaguely at Heck's note, lying discarded on the countertop. She tried to straighten her posture and her clothes, once she'd extracted Rachel's hands, and Rachel moved back enough to let her but caught Luce's face between her palms after only a moment.

"Don't you see," Rachel asked, searching Luce's eyes, "there's nothing standing between us now. Heck's my best friend and I know him like I know myself. He wouldn't have left if he'd thought I'd be moping about the whole time. The point is, he's letting me move on."

Luce barely let Rachel finish her sentence before kissing her, but she pulled back almost immediately with a muffled laugh.

"What?" Rachel asked, half amused and half indignant.

"I just realized that was the first time I'd kissed you, instead of you kissing me," Luce explained. A smile broke across Rachel's face, but instead of letting it linger, Luce pulled her back into the kiss. This time no one pulled away, even when Rachel began to walk backwards across the kitchen, tugging Luce along with her. Luce stumbled, separating them, and by the time she'd regained her footing, Rachel was halfway up the spiral staircase.

"Well c'mon then," Rachel laughed down at her, eyes sparkling and lips swollen from kissing. Luce was frozen for a moment, but her body caught on faster than her brain and she bolted after Rachel, who was standing just inside the glass doors to the balcony by the time Luce caught up. She pressed Rachel against the doors, her hands creeping under the edges of Rachel's shirt just above her hipbones.

Rachel squeaked. Off Luce's raised eyebrow, she explained, "A bit cold, this glass," and grinned.

"We'll just have to work around it then, won't we," Luce purred, sliding her hands down the sides of Rachel's hips before hooking her fingers in the belt loops and tugging as she continued her descent.  
Rachel got the hint, and with a minimum of wobbling, both women sank to their knees and finally to the floor, Rachel on her back and Luce supporting herself on one elbow. The index finger of Luce's left hand traced Rachel's brow and moved down the slope of her nose. Rachel smiled up at her, and Luce leaned in to pick up where they'd left off.

Several exhilarating minutes later, both shirts had been flung off to the side somewhere and Luce's hand was drawing swirls on Rachel's bare stomach. Rachel squirmed and, when Luce refused to let her escape the tickling, used all her strength to flip their positions as she had by the kitchen counter.

Once she was looking down at Luce, Rachel's expression shifted, a look a little like worry flitting across her features.

"What's that about?" Luce asked, trying to keep her tone light.

"Oh, I just thought - well. I haven't actually done this..." Rachel looked away as she spoke.

Luce grinned. "You know, I'd actually twigged that." Rachel met her eyes again, and Luce continued, "Somehow I think you'll be a quick study." Both women grinned, and no more words were spoken for quite some time.

********

Six months later, when Luce had finally stopped expecting Heck to come round every corner and wake her up from the dream, a parcel arrived at Rachel's flat. Luce nearly tripped over it in the process of retrieving the newspaper for them to read in bed, so she opted to bring it with her. Once she was thoroughly nestled back under the covers, she prodded Rachel insistently until she put down the local section of the paper and tore the tape off of the parcel.

"A book?" Luce sounded disappointed. "That's not the slightest bit exciting. Who's it from?"

Rachel lifted _The Rough Guide to New Zealand_ out of the box and opened the cover. Inside, a sticky note directed her, in familiar handwriting, to turn to the page of author biographies. An even more familiar picture smiled up at her.

" _Heck_ ," both women breathed in unison, and Rachel began to read his short biographical paragraph aloud. Her brow creased as she came to the last line.

"For Simone, who helped me follow my dreams, and for the original occupant of seat 21E on BA flight 0009, without whom I wouldn't know her." Rachel's tone was puzzled as she stared at the page.

A sudden rustling drew her attention to Luce, who had risen from the bed and was hunting through one of the drawers Rachel had cleared out for her things. When she turned back around, her expression was triumphant and she was holding a folded sheet of paper aloft. She returned to the bed, perching on the edge and unfolding the paper. Rachel shifted closer to get a better look.

The paper turned out to be a printed e-ticket for British Airways flight 0009, from London Heathrow to Sydney, Australia, and the seat number was 21E.

"It was me," Luce explained, "This was my ticket for the day you found me in that ridiculous tailback. I was supposed to be the person sitting in that seat, but obviously I wasn't on the flight."

Rachel gaped at her. "Why do you still have the ticket?"

Luce smiled softly. "I kept it to remind me of where I could have been, and of how much better it is to be here."

And then they were kissing, and Luce couldn't imagine anywhere she'd rather be.


End file.
